Before the birth of both of my children, I knew that if we wanted to eat in the postpartum days, I would need to do some work ahead of time. My husband is great at all things in the house, but the poor guy can’t even cook toast, so meal planning and preparation always falls solely on me. Luckily, I don’t mind most of the time because it is something that I really enjoy doing.
The first time around, I did prepare some breakfast items but not nearly enough. So, with my second pregnancy, I focused the bulk of my energy on breakfast. After all, I now had not just my husband and I to feed but a hungry toddler as well, and just because I might be up with baby all night doesn’t mean the toddler wouldn’t want to be fed at 7:00 a.m.!
Most of the recipes I included here are ones that I have tried and loved (I won’t share the flops with you!) so I know they freeze and reheat well. Many just happen to be gluten-free as well and some even Paleo because that is the way my family eats much of the time.
Muffins
I can’t say this enough…muffins, muffins, and more muffins. These were so easy to make in advance and freeze. I froze them in individual Ziploc baggies with two muffins per bag. Then, I would just take out whatever we needed the night before and let them defrost on the counter so they were ready to eat by morning. Throughout my pregnancy, whenever I was making muffins I would just double or triple the batch to get as many as I could into the freezer before baby arrived. A few of my favorite recipes: Flourless Pumpkin Pie Muffins, Paleo Almond Poppy Seed Muffins, and Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins.
Breakfast Burritos
This one is my husband’s favorite breakfasts on the go and I love how easy they are to throw together. Since everything is pre-cooked, you can eat them cold, or warm them quickly in the heating device of your choice. I use the recipe and freezer method from The Ezer Wife, but I really don’t think you can screw this one up!
Waffles
This one requires a little bit more prep than some of the others, but definitely worth it to have a hot breakfast on busy mornings. Check out these Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles and Carrot Cake Waffles.
Breakfast Cookies
If I am being honest, these are one of the best parts of postpartum (minus the precious baby of course!). This breakfast cookie recipe is flexible and you can really make them any way you want, just be sure to double or triple the batch!
Raw Cookie Dough Bites
More cookies? Yes. When you are in the early days of postpartum, it can be all about the cookies! I liked to keep a couple of bags of these in the freezer and just grab one or two in between nursing sessions. The Nourishing Home has a couple of variations in flavor, but my favorite is Snickerdoodle.
Biscuits
Similar to muffins, these are fast and easy to grab whether on the go or just short on time. Since you can mix up a variety of toppings, these aren’t likely to bore you quickly. Use them to make egg sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, or just top with lots of Kerrygold butter. Want another idea? English muffins freeze well and are a nice change of pace.
Granola
Another one of my favorites that is also very versatile and can be used to top apple pie filling (yes, apple “pie” for breakfast!), mixed with yogurt, or just add milk to eat like cereal. I freeze in large mason jars (or gallon size Ziploc bags). Here is a super easy crockpot granola recipe, but I also like this Soaked Granola. Bonus? Oats and flaxseed are known galactagogues!
Smoothie Popsicles
Make your favorite smoothie and freeze in popsicle molds. Try these fun flavors: Avocado Blueberry or Superfood.
